In portable handheld tools such as brushcutters, motor-driven chain saws, hedge trimmers, drills and the like, an electric drive motor is switched on and off via a switch unit. The switch unit is held in the housing of the work apparatus and is actuated via a switch lever which has an actuating segment extending from the housing and which is depressed by the operator against the spring force of the switch unit.
The spring force of the switch unit acting in the opening direction is intended to provide a reliable opening of the electric switch contacts of the switch unit and to ensure that the contacts have an adequate at-rest spacing from each other in order to reliably prevent electric arcs which would otherwise damage the contacts.
It is known to simultaneously utilize the spring force of the switch unit acting in the opening direction to return the switch lever to its rest position. However, this requires a precise matching of the rest position of the contact actuator and the rest position of the switch lever in order, on the one hand, to ensure a reliable opening of the electric switch contacts of the switch unit and, on the other hand, to ensure the rest position of the switch lever. Because of the occurring tolerances, the condition can arise that in the rest position in the switch lever, the contact actuator of the switch unit is depressed through a partial stroke whereby the at-rest spacing of the electric switch contacts in the switch unit is reduced. This can lead to electric arcs which are not interrupted because of the small contact spacing when opening the switch unit and which then destroy the switch unit. When a welding of the switch contacts occurs which cannot be prevented, a dangerous condition is present for the operator of the work apparatus since the drive motor can no longer be switched off.